October is National Fire Prevention Month.

Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe:

• Change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks.
   
• Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors monthly.
   
• Have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home.
   
• Plan, discuss and practice an escape route with your family for dangerous situations such as home fires, carbon monoxide leaks and natural disasters.
   
• Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home.
   
• Make sure everyone knows where to meet outside in case of fire.
   
• Do not ignore the chirping sound your smoke alarm makes when maintenance is required.
   
• Never smoke in bed.
   
• Use flashlights of flameless candles rather than candles to light your home during power outages.
   
• Carbon monoxide detectors are NOT substitutes for smoke alarms.
   
• Be sure that you have at least one or more UL listed fire extinguishers in your home.
   
• Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed.  Do not leave a room before blowing out all candles.
   
• Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters
   
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
   
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

City of Pittsburgh Fire Bureau information, including programs, resources and contact information: pittsburghpa.gov/fire

In an emergency, please always call 911!

Additional fire safety and prevention tips and information:

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/

http://www.ready.gov/home-fires

http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340073_FireSafety.pdf